


Names Upon Our Skin

by Mayamelissa



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, I am taking SO MANY LIBERTIES!, soulbond
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-20
Updated: 2015-11-22
Packaged: 2018-05-02 13:19:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5249612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mayamelissa/pseuds/Mayamelissa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He'd given up on ever finding them so many years ago. Now she is here, the one whose name he bears upon his skin. His soulmate. The one who will be his everything.</p>
<p>She was put in uthenera as punishment so many millennia ago for being different and refusing to play by the rules set by self-proclaimed gods. The branded name of her soul mate serves as just another reminder of what she's lost. But she will not be bitter. After all: Fen'Harel had merely been a character from a children's tale and she was flesh and bone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Done as a response for the following: http://dragonage-kink.livejournal.com/15866.html?thread=60060154#t60060154 I got a little side tracked. You would not believe the stuff they have up for requests!

Awaking in strange places was beginning to be a sort of habit for Ellison.

 

The first time had been when the wards on her tomb had been disrupted by apparent human  treasure hunters. Now she was in a dungeon surrounded by soldiers holding swords out towards her, with a glowing mark of indeterminate origin causing her a great amount of discomfort.

 

And what’s worse? The humans apparently thought she was responsible for the murder of the leaders of their main religious organization. The only ‘proof’ they had was this mark bearing the same magic of the Breach and that she was the only survivor of the explosion.

 

She honestly had to wonder how they would react if they knew the one they accused was an ancient elf. Not that she would tell them. The last thing she needed was more problems added to the growing ledger in her mind. 

 

“Quickly before more come through!”

 

She snapped to focus as an elf grabbed her marked hand and held it up to the rift. It closed and she ripped her hand away from the stranger, eyeing him suspiciously. “What did you do?” she asked in shock.

 

“I did nothing. The credit is yours.”

 

She highly doubted that. If she ever did anything right, it was often followed by something terrible. Which is why she’d been sentenced to uthenera so many millennia ago.

 

“So what’s your name?”

 

She looked down at the dwarf who had introduced himself as Varric. “Ellison. I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Varric. And you?” She looked at the elf who had helped her seal the rift.

 

“My name is Solas. I am pleased to see you still live.”

 

She cocked an eyebrow at that as Varric explained how Solas had been the one to keep the mark from killing her while she’d been unconscious. “You have my thanks,” she told him. There was some strange kind of energy coming from him. Familiar, like an old forgotten song that had been half lost for a long time. Her eyes looked at him, searching for answers.

 

“My apologies, but have we met before?”

 

Solas cocked his head to the side. “I do not believe so.”

 

“It’s just that you seem-”

 

She sighed and shook her head. “My apologies again. I am afraid things have been strange since I awoke.”

 

~Solas POV~

 

The moment he’d grabbed her hand, the world had changed. Her magics were ancient. He could feel that the moment they’d made contact. Powers he had not felt in so long in the guise of a woman with one blue eye, one brown bearing his mark and features that shamelessly could pass for human if one did not look closely enough.

 

And then she’d said her name.

 

That name which had been on his skin since before he’d raised the Veil and torn the world asunder. Was it coincidence? Or perhaps a cruel joke? Ellison. Which of his names had been grafted on her skin? Obviously not Solas. Although her question of them meeting before did seem odd.

 

Perhaps she knew him without realizing it.

  
No matter what, he thought as they headed to the forward camp, everything was different now.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Watch as I bang out a new chapter feeling sleepy and more than likely butchering something I love while doing so. Also in case you didn't notice, things jump. Maker forgive me.

Some things never changed no matter what age you live in.

 

People can still surprise her and people with power (real or imagined by ego) are an insult to male genitalia. The self proclaimed Grand Chancellor wanted her in chains to be taken to Orlais to face execution. He had some kind of weird desire to see her in chains, she couldn’t help but realize. It was rather disturbing in the intensity.

 

Maybe he has a fetish?

 

If he insisted her being arrested for a third time, she was definitely going to ask.

 

Cassandra slammed a heavy book on the table, causing her to focus on what was happening around her once more. “Do you know what this is?” Cassandra asked. She was talking to Roderick, defending Ellison and basically kicking him out.

 

“This is the Divine’s directive,” Leliana explained. “Rebuild the Inquisition of old and find agents who will stand against the chaos.”

 

“The Inquisition of old? What is that?”

 

So they explained it a little and soon enough she’d found herself agreeing to help them. Because why not? She didn’t have any immediate plans and being an immortal ancient elf meant she had plenty of time on her hands. Of course they weren’t going to find that out if she could help it.

 

The hilarity was not lost on her.

 

She almost wished she’d had friends before she’d been put in uthenera that were with her now to laugh with her. Of course she had never had friends and as nice as the idea was, it was highly unlikely she ever would. How could she? Elves were treated far and wide with racism. Magic was feared in spite of it being a natural product of the world. And elves who refused to bow to the shem laws proudly wore slave markings thinking it somehow honored their ‘Gods’.

 

She really needed a drink. Or 17.

 

Once she’d met with the Inner Circle, she was discovered by Solas on her way to the tavern. “How are you feeling?” he asked.

 

“Overwhelmed and wishing I was back in-”

 

She caught herself before she said uthenera. “With my clan,” she quickly replied, hoping he didn’t notice. He nodded. “I have no doubt. The Herald of Andraste? A blessed hero coming to save us all.”

 

She grimaced. “You make me sound as if I should come riding in on a shining steed.”

 

“I would have said griffon. However they are sadly extinct.”

 

“Another loss brought about by time and hubris,” she remarked with no hidden animosity. “When I was a child I imagined riding griffons. They were… amazing creatures.”

 

“Indeed. I have seen many memories of such creatures in the Fade. Creatures both frightening and majestic now only visible to the few who can find them.”

 

Ellison looked at him, studying Solas. He was so familiar. Why? She was certain they had never met.

 

“Something on your mind?”

 

She smiled as a guilty blush danced on her cheeks. “I apologize. But you seem so familiar and I cannot understand it.”

 

“Perhaps we crossed paths somehow in the Fade? It is rare but it can occur.”

 

Her smile turned sad. “Perhaps. However I doubt I would recall such a time.” His blue eyes looked at her curiously. “You are a mage, are you not? Even the lowest of mages can recall their dreams.”

 

“And yet I do not.”

 

His reaction was exactly as she expected. Confusion and disbelief. Yet, she was not lying. It was merely another reason she had been sentenced to her near eternal slumber. “That is impossible,” he told her, his lips twisted in a frown.

 

“My clan leaders would agree with you if they were around to ask. They called me an abomination and cast me out to the wilds for it. A mage who can not dream and yet wields her magic as I do? Impossible. A fluke that could do nothing but bode ill.”

 

He was silent as he stared at her. He probably didn’t believe her. Not that she could blame him. The only ones who did not dream were the children of the stone or those poor tranquil. She should be able to dream. She often wished she had back in the old days. How many times could she have avoided torment if just once she could have dreamed of something? Or met another in the Fade while sleeping?

 

She shivered but it was not due to the cold air. She excused herself from his presence, deciding to go back to her cabin instead of imbibing on some spirits. Drinking while depressed wasn’t a smart plan anyhow.

 

~Solas POV~

 

She had to be lying.

 

Every logical part of him said she was. A mage who did not dream? And yet it would explain how for so long he had yet to ever find her. His walks in the Fade had been not just to uncover hidden truths and long forgotten memories. A part of it had also been to find some piece of her.

 

Because as much as he had given up hope of finding her, he’d still wished to find out if she had ever existed.

 

She was even more of an enigma now that before. An enigma with pain he would work to uncover and ultimately bond with her so neither of them would be alone again. Finding her here and now ensured his path could not be walked alone.

 

And for the first time in so long, he felt happiness.


	3. Chapter 3

“You didn’t strike me as the type who would have a tattoo.”

 

Ellison shook her head. “And you would be correct,” she confirmed. The dwarf looked at her curiously. “So what’s with that one on you rumor has you have?”

 

Her face turned red and she asked in a voice far too shrill than intended, “How did you find out about my soulmate’s name?!” She then clasped her hands over her mouth while the members of her party looked at her. “You have the name of your soul mate tattooed on your body?” Cassandra asked.

 

“No, it’s um…”

 

Oh bollocks.Void, take her: how does she explain this? _Why_ did she have to?!  


 

“Elves back in ancient times would be born with the names of their destined one on a part of their body,” Solas said, surprising them all. “It doesn’t happen as often nowadays but some elves are still blessed with such a gift.”

 

“Destiny giving you a hand at finding true love? That sounds romantic.”

 

The note of wistfulness in Cassandra’s voice was not lost on anyone. “And I’m certain it would be," Ellison agreed flatly. "However mine is more of a cosmic joke since there is no way it's bearer exists.”

 

“And what makes you so certain?”

 

Ellison looked at Solas before sighing. “Because my soul mate is named Fen’Harel. And I am very certain that as a fellow elf, you know no one would name their child that.”

 

“Isn’t that the name of the Trickster God?” Varric asked.

 

“Yes, although to be honest until I came here I had only known of him as a character from children’s fairy tales. Although how he went from mostly harmless prankster to a great betrayer makes me wonder what-”

 

They were looking at her. Solas seemed intrigued while Cassandra and Varric’s looks were less… encouraging. “Anyhow I just consider it another joke life has decided to play upon my fate. I doubt I will ever meet a Fen’Harel.”

 

“How about you, Chuckles? Do you have the name of your soul mate on your body?”

 

Solas cast a look of disapproval at Varric. “No.”

 

“Pity. It would have been quite a twist if you had our Herald’s name somewhere on you.”

 

She could have sworn Solas looked at her with some kind of unspoken feeling before returning his gaze on the dwarf. “Real life is not so simple that one can find their soulmate through chance.”

 

“I know several people who would disagree with you on that, Chuckles. But I’ll let it be.”

 

Solas looked at her once more and she could only manage to give him a confused look in reply. What was going on through those blue eyes of his?

 

~Solas POV~

 

So, it was _that_ name she bore of his.

 

She must have given up hope for so long… Perhaps longer than he had if her explanation of his namesake’s origins were so clear. The name Fen’Harel had been given to him as an insult which he used as a badge of pride to strike fear into the hearts of his enemies.

 

How was she here? And where had she been all these years? Uthenera? It seemed likely. But for how long? Surely it must have been at some point before the rebellion. Her face bore no vallaslin so could she have predated the slaves? And when had she awoken from that slumber?

 

She gave him more questions than answers by just being here. So close to touching.

 

He would have to tread carefully. Learn more. He still could not figure out a way to find her in the Fade. Whenever he thought he was close he would come upon a barrier. It was colors and lights and sounds of the most unusual kind that bent and rippled at his touch but would not give.

  
He had no clue if Ellison had somehow raised it herself at one point but no longer realized it was there or if indeed it had always been there, surrounding her and shielding her from outside influences. He was determined to find a way past it.


End file.
